Kerala – day 5

Varkala – Munnar

Monday, 3rd April 2023

Yesterday, we stayed up with Riyad until midnight. The Muslim ceremonies last for 15 minutes, from 3:45 AM to 4:00 AM. It was quite warm at night, and we also got bitten by something. We get up at 7 AM and go for a swim, hoping the sea will be calmer. It’s not – the waves are even bigger than yesterday.

A little further along, fishermen are casting their nets, so Jozef goes back to grab the camera. We waited until they pulled the nets out, but there wasn’t much in them. Probably due to the waves, one side of the net slipped, and the fish escaped, leading to an argument among the fishermen.

But we had to go by then. We took a shower, packed up, and went for breakfast. We both ordered egg curry, which was quite spicy, but I survived. Then we went to collect our things from the accommodation, and Riyad offered to take us to the station on his motorbike. Riyad was driving, with my backpack in front of him, I sat behind him, and Jozef sat behind me. For me, it felt like a death ride, but Jozef enjoyed it. At the station, we took a picture and said goodbye.

We went to buy tickets, hoping to reserve seats, but with the cashier we didn’t quite understand each other. So, we bought tickets for 70 INR per person (€0.80) for a 4-hour train ride, about 150 km. These trains are very long, and we were only told to head in one direction. So, we went and sat in a sleeper coach where there were some free spots. Later, the conductor came and told us to move further along. We decided to stay until someone kicked us out, which took about half an hour. So, we moved on and finally found a carriage that seemed like the right one. Even if all four seats are taken, it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a fifth person. We tried asking if we were in the right place – everyone wanted to help but didn’t know how. We stayed, with everyone staring at us and looking at our phones, curious about what we were doing. Then, a group of girls came and sat down on the luggage rack.

It was extremely hot, and the ride seemed to take forever. Finally, we arrived in Kochi. Some locals approached us to ask if they could take a picture with us for Instagram. We went to eat and then headed to the bus station. We asked about a bus to Munnar. We got lucky, as one was about to leave. We paid 160 INR per person. If we had planned it, it wouldn’t have worked out this well.

After a while, an Indian man sat next to us and started chatting. His English was quite good because he had lived in Scotland for six years. After a bit of conversation, all three of us fell asleep. The ride lasted two hours, and then the man got off. It felt like we were driving through the city the whole time because there were houses everywhere, and the bus kept stopping. It wasn’t until we started ascending into the mountains where were fewer houses. Throughout the journey, we were accompanied by the sound of dying brakes, making the whole bus vibrate. It took us five hours to travel 130 kilometers, so we arrived in Munnar after dark. Spending the whole day traveling, we were drenched in sweat, so we immediately checked into our accommodation, took a shower, and went to eat. We wanted to find some fresh juices, but storm was approaching, so we headed back to the hotel. We spent the evening watching an Indian soap opera.